Gender Roles In The Other Two, By Edith Wharton

Women’s social role during the late 1800’s was to take care of the children and the house. Women were like dolls and did not have any real thoughts of their own according to society. The women were supposed to be submissive to their dominate husbands. If the man’s status were a higher class then the women would have help in the form of house cleaner and servants. All she then had to do was be carefree. Women and men did not sit down and have conversations to work out any issues. Women were to idolize their husbands and be happy all the time. Women were possessions to men. Men were in search for a trophy wife someone they could take to parties and show off. This is shown by Torvald saying “Is that my little squirrel bustling around?” He refers to her as a squirrel she should not have a worry in the world he basically placates her. You can also tell this by the way Nora and Torvald discuss her not being able to eat macaroons. He is controlling and Nora is a piece of property. Torvald said “I wouldn’t be a man if this womanly

Born on approximately April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, William Shakespeare is considered by many to have been the greatest writer the English language has ever known. His literary legacy included 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and five major poems. Among his many plays is the notable, Twelfth Night, a romantic comedy, placed in a festive atmosphere in which three couples are brought together happily.

At the turn of the 20th century, the social and economic climate of urban America saw a boom in industry and productivity. Within this microcosm of economic prosperity, social elites participated in a constant exchange of opportunities, ideas, and social exploitations. In Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth, the atmosphere of high society deeply emulates the atmosphere of the market itself. Wharton utilizes economic terminology and vocabulary in this novel to establish the principles of courtship in post-Victorian society. In this society, women, marriage, and social favors serve as commodities which are traded back and forth between the masters of both the monetary and social economies.

In the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns, gender roles play a major role in how characters think about themselves and others. Men are raised to believe that they are responsible to suppress women’s independence and autonomy, and women often internalize a sense of inferiority and/or subservience. The results of these conditions often include men’s violence against women, and a general mistrust between the two genders. In this novel, Rasheed demonstrates this type of behavior to be true. Rasheed is a single shoemaker whose first wife and son died many years ago. He becomes the suitor for the young 15-year-old mariam. He is a very traditional and strict older gentleman, which some difficult situations for Mariam to deal with in her life. Rasheed tries to exhibit excessive dominance in their marriage and instructs Mariam to be obedient, subordinate, and compliant with every single one of his demands.

Women take an oppressive role and Rachel is sure to not be taken under a man’s hold. While faking an engagement with a man involved in political affairs, Eeben Axelroot, she knows how to use her physical features to make him expose his intentions. In addition to that, she uses what she knows about others through Axelroot to her advantage. At one point, while interested in marrying a rich ambassador, she says “ After what I know about that man, I can wrap him around my little finger” (Kingsolver 428). Rachel also understands that although men keep women in the house daily, they cannot go on a week without them cooking or supporting their

In Edith Wharton’s The Other Two, Waythorn, a successful businessman, marries Alice Haskett, a cosmopolitan woman who has married twice before. Having just married Alice, Waythorn initially is ecstatic and excited about the prospect of creating a new, personal relationship with Alice, a woman he feels he understands and knows well. As the story progresses, Waythorn starts to realize that his relationship with Alice is not as clearly defined as he once thought, a revelation largely recognized because of Alice’s two ex-husbands: Varrick and Haskett. Hawthorne, who initially questioned their potentially disruptive role in Alice and his marriage, negates all of the initial doubts he had relating to them and their visits to his residence. However,

During this period, women were subjected in their gender roles and were restricted over what the patriarchal system enforced on them. Everyone was brought up believing that women had neither self-control nor self-government but that they must capitulate to the control of dominate gender. The ideology that “God created men and women different - … [and they should] remain each in their own position.” (eHow, Ibsen's Influences on Women's Rights) is present in A Doll’s House with Nora’s character, as she is seen as the ideal women during the Victorian Era, who is first dutiful as wife and mother before to her own self. Whenever Torvald gives Nora money, she spends it on her children so that they are not “shabbily dressed” (Act 1). Though she loves her children it is all the more shocking when she leaves them.

In portraying women as objects to be owned, Glaspell uses the bird cage and the dead bird, while Ibsen uses the dollhouse. Glaspell proves this point in Trifles, when Mrs. Hale declares that “It never seemed a very cheerful place” (Glaspell 918). Essentially, what this says is that Mrs. Wright was living in an environment where she was imprisoned –caged like a bird –by her husband and he tried to make her identity an extension of his own. Subsequently, Mrs. Hale says, “. . . she used to wear pretty clothes and be lively, when she was Minnie Foster,” which implies that all the life was strangled out of her after marriage (Glaspell 920). Similarly, A Dollhouse illustrates ownership when Torvald says, “Is my little squirrel bursting about” (Ibsen 1205)? The reference to his wife as an animal is extremely condescending and indicates his power and authority over her. In response to her husband, Nora acts childishly and therefore, he continues to treat her like a childish woman, to dominate. Here, Nora proclaims to her husband, “I mean that I was simply transferred from papa’s hands into yours” (Ibsen 1247).Torvald treats his wife as if she is a doll to be owned, which in the end causes Nora to realize that she is entrapped within the walls of her own dollhouse.

Edelman expresses her concern for her husband as his work hours increase significantly. As this progresses, her work hours decrease creating an imbalance in the family. She takes on a stronger role at home, and reflects upon her childhood days. Feminists had modeled her ideas and ideals into a feminist character, with equality programmed into her mind. The author blames the feminists who influenced her long ago for the troubles on her mind now. As John’s company stabilizes he is left with less work hours, which translate into the amount of hours spent at home. Edelman learns the importances of compromises and not

In both short stories, it is easy to discover that Winterbourne and Waythorn both are mysterious of who their adored ones really are besides what is normally perceived of them. Throughout the story Winterbourne could not figure out Daisy as he tried to analyze all the unusual aspects of her character. Winterbourne becomes infatuated by Daisy, confused by her “mixture of innocence and crudity,” (James 520) and “mixture of audacity and puerility.” (James 533). On the other hand, Waythorn becomes a bit curious as to who Alice really is now or was during her past two husbands who aren’t nearly as bad as Alice had informed him. Although Winterbourne is not married like Waythorn, Winterbourne desires Daisy a great deal but he is humble enough to avoid being disparate especially when she is accompanied by Mr. Giovanelli. Compared to Winterbourne, Waythorn could not bear “to think that she had, in the background of her life, a phase of existence so different from anything with which he had connected her.” (Wharton 1032). Although “The Other Two” ends much better than “Daisy Miller,” thanks to Mrs. Miller, Winterbourne learned that Daisy really did care about him. As for the very ending of both stories, “The Other Two” ends with Waythron, Alice and her former husband’s leaving enough room to bug in each other’s lives comfortably as hoped

Moreover, Ruth’s close relationship with her father threatens Macon’s sole ownership, catapulting their friction. He comments on his daughters’ deliveries through Ruth’s father, aptly in tune with his possessiveness, adding: “She had her legs open and he was there… he was a man before he was a doctor” (71). Failing to see his wife as anything but a sexual entity, he sexualizes her relationship with her father and negates the possibility of platonic intimacy between sexes. Furthermore, he emphasizes his jealousness and how it stems from having to share ownership, lamenting, “She said it had to be his decision… She told me, her husband, that” (72). This reveals Macon’s belief that Ruth’s jurisdiction is not her own and must coincide with his, again defining her through marriage and stripping her of autonomy.

What was it that caused the aggression and dominance exhibited by the boys of Lord of the Flies? Was it some metaphysical, spiritual force, or perhaps their genetic makeup? Could it have been the influence of their peers or families, or was it the media that inspired this dangerous pattern? Conceivably, their gender had something to do with this appalling trait. It all begs the question, would the same experiences have occurred had females been stranded on the island instead of males? Had females been in a similar situation as the boys in Lord of the Flies, they would have fared abundantly better. Initially, this paper will address society’s role in encouraging males’ violent behavior, as well as females’ politeness and passivity.

   Recent history boldly notes the protests and political unrest surrounding the Vietnam Conflict during the 1960s and 70s. However, equally important in this era are the women who pushed for gender role reevaluation and publicly rebelled against the established social norm of a woman's "place." Although Alice Munro may not have been burning her bra on the courthouse steps, threads of a feminist influence can be found in "Boys and Girls." Munro's main character, a girl probably modeled after Munro's own childhood experiences on an Ontario farm, faces her awakening body and the challenge of developing her social identity in a man's world. "The girl," an unnamed character, acts as

In Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth, she presents us the real New York City in late nineteenth century. Due to the rapid development of industry, the wealth gap got wider and wider. Money functions extremely important in people’s social lives. People from upper class can purchase anything they want: luxury goods, artworks, even women. As the main part of consumption, women’s consumption reflects the gender relation in American society during this time period. The protagonist Lily Bart is a representative of females in 19th century. She was born in a rich family. However later she can only marry the rich from upper class, by her perfect appearance, in order to continue her luxuries life. Things do not turn out as her wishes, her marriage doesn’t go well. Lily is just viewed as a beautiful decoration of upper class which can be taken advantage of. Women are tempted by money and controlled by vanity. They consume on the basis of men’s standards. They are more like men’s accessories. Ultimately they become goals of men’s sexual desire and victims of the society. Gender relation is clearly established in this book.

In each play we have two main characters; in ‘A Doll’s House’ Torvald and Nora who are married and it’s been many years that they are living with each other, on the other side we have Henry and Eliza in ‘Pygmalion’ who have a teacher-student relationship, but it is clear that the attitude of Torvald and Henry is very similar most of the time. Henry as a teacher, encourages Eliza with chocolates to accommodate her with himself, while Torvald, with a father-like behavior, ignores Nora’s rights and demands such as forbidding her to bring her favorite sweets into the house. Moreover, both men name Eliza and Nora not only with their own names but whatever make them satisfied; Torvald calls Nora as his "little songbird" or his "squirrel", but Henry calls Eliza anything that occurs to him like a "squashed cabbage leaf." besides, by considering the conversations between Torvald with Nora, and Henry with Eliza it becomes clear that none of the men ever consider their partners as an adult by entering a serious conversation to them, as if they have lesser intelligence and understanding. Second, the judgement of men toward women is somehow shown in the plays. Torvald and Henry both misjudge Nora and Eliza, and it can show the fact that even the society of that era misjudged women in general. Consequently, both Pygmalion and A Doll's House are about women trying to find their position in the minds of Torvald and Henry that resist it as unfair; so it can be relevant to the begging of the time when women demand their rights in the society. Talking about the attitudes of the male character in ‘A Doll’s House’, declares that Torvald thinks of Nora only as a wife and a mother, not as a woman. She is only a doll for her husband. The setting in the whole play is a room which is a cage for Nora and she’s been keyed in. This condition is because Torvald thinks he has the right to possess his wife. It was a good condition to